Embracing the ‘avant-bland’ in contorted silhouettes and corduroy gowns

This season was an exercise in contorting the body. Everything was elongated and sculptural – but equally romantic and severe. Fabric slipped off the shoulders and it felt like garments could unravel at any moment.

Sexuality without the sex:

Continuing his exploration into the “avant-bland”, Anderson juxtaposed feminine shapes and lots of skin with notoriously ‘ugly’ fabrics: corduroy and heavy wools. Grey power suits were pulled together with thick waistbands – like that of a kimono – and worn with clumpy shoes.

Atmosphere:

Clinical and intense, heightened by Michel Gaubert’s chilling soundtrack (re-mixed from the film There Will Be Blood)

Inside story:

“It was about twisting and rooting a woman from the ground up. I wanted it to feel a bit disturbed. I like the idea of shriveled arm – something that might appear to be like roots. I think that's why I was looking at corduroy and the ways in which I could elevate it so it didn’t feel poor. We cut it on the bias, we bonded it, we fused it and we tried to make it a little bit more suspended.

The initial starting point was actually a picture by Graham Sutherland. I thought, what would it be like if this contorted figure was actually something. I spoke to someone about the twenties and thought about how the twenties hadn’t really been tackled. Then I thought about corduroy and how I hated it. How I could get all those things together to be a woman.” – J.W.Anderson.